One

Thursday, August 28, 2008

One more day of slogging away at my paid job and then its vacation time. One week is not very long but i'll take it. This is my favourite time of the year as the evenings are cooler and the daytime temp is comfortable. Not that I get outside all day.Liz and I seem to work in a sweatshop by the way we account for our days. Our Department is on the move again and by the end of September we will be back where we came from. Never a dull moment.

Gave two more chapters to Liz today that I had edited and made small revisions. I am not finding much in the third draft to change so keep your fingers crossed that this is the final editing. We are quite happy with the story and the outcome and hope you all think the same.

Liz is taking a breather while I am away next week. What with being swamped at work and the house up for sale and now she has learned of the death of an old friend. So we will regroup when I return and see how far we have to go and get the manuscript ready to send out.

My trip to Detroit will take about five hours so I should be able to get a few chapters under my belt while we are traveling. I am not taking my laptop with me so no blogging from me next week. The weather forcast says 80-82 degrees and cool at night. I hope I see some changes in the colour of the trees as that is what September is all about.

Will blog on my return with the third draft near completion. Wishful thinking.

Monday is Labour Day in Canada so I hope everyone here enjoys their day off work.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

As Liz mentioned I am having problems. Just another little glitch to keep me on my toes. In between watching the Marathon at the Olympics last night I was doing my own marathon trying to fix what I know not much about. I gave up.

I have started revising chapter 6 and hope to do 7 today of the third draft . From this point Liz and I will work together to fine tune and hopefully have a publishable manuscript.

Talking of the Olympics.. I have enjoyed many events including the sprinters and relays but my favourite is the Marathon. The stamina and endurance needed to finish took my breath away.Well our Marathon journey writing our first book will need lots of stamina and endurance too so I hope you are all there, our friends and readers to cheer us on to the finish.

Well the Olympics are over but the writing is not so....

I have four days to get a handle on draft three as I am on Vacation starting Friday. A visit to Detroit with an old friend and a relaxing time before the weather changes.

I am about to lock myself in my "Calea Sona" (Gaelic for Restful Haven), for some piece and quiet. Enjoy the rest of your w/e.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

I managed to get through the rest of Chapter 18, all of 19 and the epilogue today!!! A hard day's work spread over a few hours. Unfortunately Pam is having computer woes and can't access her Word program to open up the revisions! So I guess she will have to take my word for it, that its done. Which of course means, Draft #3 is up next!A very warm and humid day here today...my maple tree out front is quickly shedding multi coloured leaves! I fear the tree has seen better days and may have numbered days if the city sees its bare branches and sparse foliage.And now I think I will treat myself to settling in my pj's and grabbing my latest book - "No Place Safe" by Richard North Patterson, and if I fall asleep after a couple of pages, then that's perfectly fine.Halfway through the weekend - if only the work days would go this quickly - grrrrrr!!Cheers!Liz

Thursday, August 21, 2008

.....so Blog I will (am?). Pam's commanded suggestion to me as the work day was wrapping up.Almost the end of another work week and both Pam and I are becoming increasingly frustrated with lack of both time and motivation to focus on Madelaine. Demands at work and home seem to take their toll and leave us exhausted by day's end.Tomorrow sees us bid adieu to a good friend where we work, someone I've worked with for almost 10 years! She is staying with the bank but taking a position closer to home, which will allow her to walk to work if she desires - goodbye 54 km trek on the highway twice a day! I'll miss you Linda!I'm hoping for a quiet weekend with some writing time, I just have to wrap up the end of Chapter 18, 19 and the epilogue to say that the second draft is done! Pam has been making some changes on the third draft, but I don't dare start in on it until I feel I can have closure on the second one. So my goal is to get to that point before Monday! Until then, Pam may take a stab at drafting some query letters to prospective agents.Almost the end of August and there is a hint of autumn in the air, leaves are already taking on their seasonal change of wardrobe. I really love the fall! But don't like what it portends- brrrrrr!!Hope your weekend will be a good one - Cheers!Liz

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Greetings,Postings have been scarce but we are still very busy revising. Liz, now than her computer is running again has been cleaning up the last chapters of the second draft. I am working on the second chapter of the third draft and it is slow going. We meet everyday for lunch and read it out loud . This is where the revising comes in as we cut sentences and haggle over words but in the end we seem to be in agreement.

Editing your work is such a personal thing. It is very hard to cut your work and throw it out. As this is a collaboration I was sure we might come to blows when the other says 'That word is not working or, lets cut that paragraph." It has not happened that way at all. There are obvious times when I know who is writing what but mostly the work has blended and it is just our story.

The word count has stayed pretty much the same as when we cut often something else is added. The story has stayed the same, just said in a different way and we hope with more punch.

Liz is off to her friend Rebecca's trailer this w/e for a well deserved rest. I believe another open house is scheduled. The weather forecast is Sun sun and more sun for a change. We were all getting a bit waterlogged.

My oldest grandson ( who will be a tenager next week) Yikes! has been visiting .As he had a sleepover at his cousins last night I am taking advantage of doing some writing in peace.

My goal today is chapter 3& 4. These revisions I am doing by hand so that Liz and I can then go over them together. Our workplace will not allow for my laptop in the cafeteria!! Some nerve they have. Imagine.

Right at the moment I am sitting on a single bed in my office admiring my new bookcase. I have finally brought all my favourite books together in one place instead of every corner of the house.Most I have read and reread but I have quite a few that I need to read. I have a few first editions and quite a few Authors have signed books that now grace the new bookcase. The computer is grand but nothing beats the smell and the touch of a book.

Will blog tomorrow night and will let you know if I get these two chapters finished.Enjoy your week-end.

Friday, August 8, 2008

And very relieved to be able to say that! After a week with no computer and limited access to my email and favourite sites I've FINALLY been able to get back online.My computer crashed a week ago, requiring the purchase of a new upgrade (which is quite nice, lots of space to fill up!), and then the headache of dealing with the tech support of my internet provider because the disc I previously used to connect the internet, would not, of course, be compatible with Windows Vista (another upgrade, which so far I quite like). After a frustrating phone conversation I requested they send a new disc. It arrived yesterday - with absolutely no instructions and didn't just "run" at start up! More frustration, but the end result is that I'm back!This evening will be spent trying out the trial version of Microsoft 2007 which was deviously installed as a special 60 day offer. And the last hurdle, hooking up my email accounts. But at least I feel like I've returned from an unexpected hiatus and am very anxious to get back into writing and communicating!And - its FRIDAY!!!! Birthday party tomorrow for my youngest grandchild, Max. He turned 1 yesterday, so its the first birthday party for him.Have a great day...mine is going well so far, LOL!!CheersLiz

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Rain, rain and more rain. This kind of weather reminds me of Edinburgh where I was born and brought up. I have never seen such green grass this far into the summer here in Canada. All the trees and plantings look so lush. But I have had enough already.

Update on Liz and my son Ron. Liz worked her last day as "the big boss" and an admirable job she did too. She is looking forward to getting her own work done and being back at her desk. I was afraid to ask her about the computer as if she had it up and running she would be blogging and emailing and hopefully back at the writing but when I asked I received a@#$%&* in the only way that Liz could do @#$%^&*. and then she told me to go away. We will just have to wait on the computer fairy helping her out.

The outcome of the cat scan on son # 2's foot was not a broken bone but six broken bones!!!. Only he could do such a thing is such a spectacular way. Doc says lots of pain for at least two years. Not sure of the prognosis but we will keep our fingers crossed.

So, how much writing have I done? Nada. I am almost finished putting all the books in my new bookcase and fixing my office.I read an article yesterday that told me if I want to write just write and forget about how your surroundings are. Well that may work for some and I get his drift but I need to work in a clean and tidy workspace,My other excuse is my partner is incommunicado.....So its all Liz's fault.

Just joking, as we will soon be rattling out paragraph after paragraph of award winning prose. I know Liz is as frustrated as I am so hang on.

Rain has stopped and the sky has cleared so its time to get back to other peoples books and finish my room. Will keep you posted re Liz and her computer.

Monday, August 4, 2008

Had word this am that the other Jamie Tremain is almost up and running. At least she has a new hard drive. Now she has to program it or whatever she needs to do to communicate with the world. You can tell I am a techi person with all the lingo I use. Hurry back Liz. You have been gone toooooo long.

I have spent the better part of today in the emergency with son # 2. 30 years old but still needs his Mummy. Party time at Alqonquin park and some fooling around has resulted in either a broken foot or ligament problems. He has been in the emergency now for six hours and waiting on an orthopedic surgeon. I could have left a couple of hours ago but my writer's curiosity kicked in as I pretended to read a magazine and listened to many tales of woe. It is a strange bond these people have as they poured out their ailments and compared war wounds. When you get into hour three, people talk of the most intimate things and bit and pieces of lives are bared to complete strangers.

All good fodder for my folder on interesting characters. Lets hope than Ron's foot is not too serious and is home soon and all is right with Liz's world and we can hear from her soon.

Back to work tomorrow but it's a short week. Jamie Tremain will be back in business and our third draft will soon be ready for ....the world.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

The house has been built but now some of the walls are crumbling. To shore them up, Liz's job has to get back to normal. Is that possible?Then the house will sell at the price they want with no more open houses and by a miracle her computer can be fixed instead of the need for a new hard drive.

When Liz came to work Friday she could hardly utter the words. "My computer crashed" Fortunately she had saved our writing on a USB hard drive but not her photo's. One of those things we always mean to do. Hopefully a technician can retrieve them for her.

A short hiatus was in order with the writing as I had some family obligations myself and we were just getting frustrated with halfhearted attempts to discuss our progress.

Until we get back on course with the revision and final draft of Madelaine I have an opportunity to organize myself. My books and papers are everywhere so I have sent Peter to pick up a floor to ceiling bookcase for my office. I am supposed to part with a few books but it's very hard. Its akin to book burning in my mind. I will also give some thought to the continuance of "Body Perfect" as both Liz and I are very excited about the way that this book has come together.

On a personal note, my youngest grandson has just had his third birthday. "Happy Birthday Damian" He won't be our baby much longer as another wee Blance is due in January. Baby #5.Heeding advice from my friend Bertha(She is 92 and fashion maven) she told me I was letting myself go and needed to spruce myself up and get a "spiffy" haircut and make it my signature.Well, either the new hairdresser did not know what "spiffy" meant or he was in a hurry for a Friday night date. My hair is not much different from what I walked in with and I was $55.00 lighter. I am such a coward. I said it was ok , paid up, gave him a tip but now I am wishing I had spoken up and insisted on getting what I wanted. Next time.

What else can I do to spiffy myself up??? Your answers to that question are of paramount importance and I look forward to your suggestions. Within reason.

I have a sign on my office door that I attach when I don't want to be disturbed.It's says "Calea Sona". It means "quiet haven" in gaelic.That is what I need to write. Absolute quiet.I am sure it won't be long until we are back on track and will start to send "Madelaine" off to prospective agents or publishers.